Jack Parkinson admitted Crabble had the feel of a Football League ground on Saturday with packed stands and a vocal, segregated away support adding to a vibrant atmosphere.

Parkinson headed the second-half equaliser which kept Dover on course for a top-four finish, sending the majority of the near 2,000 crowd wild.

He said: “It does feel different on a day like that. As a player it’s always nice to walk out in front of a nice crowd and when they’re getting behind you, it does make a difference.

“It’s a cliche to say they’re a 12th man but it does make a huge difference, especially when you’re attacking the goal and you have a few corners like we did at the end there, it gives you a little bit more of edge to get on the end of the ball.

“They really do make a difference.”

In the lead-up to the game, Parkinson admitted he ‘owed Grimsby one’ having conceded the last-gasp spot-kick at Blundell Park which condemned Whites to a 1-0 defeat just before Christmas.

He said: “To get the goal was pleasing considering I gave away the penalty at their place. The most important thing was to get something out of the game, though. We probably deserved the three points but it wasn’t to be. We felt a bit hard done by. We could have had several penalties, we had a lot of chances, they had their share too. It wasn’t to be but a point is a point.

“You’d have said at the start of the season that a point at home to Grimsby is probably a good point.”

The two sides look destined to meet again in the play-off semi-finals and Parkinson added: “They are a massive club and have some good players but the system we play is effective and over the two games they have scored two penalties against us and we have created a lot of chances in both games.

“If we get over the line and if we got to play them then we wouldn’t have a lot to fear. Hopefully, at Kidderminster, we can get over the line and look forward to the play-offs.”